How to make Invisible Shoes FeelTrue™ Kits for barefoot running

These instructions will help you make you your own huaraches from scratch using our 4m Connect or 6mm Contact Invisible Shoe Kits. If you want to learn to make running sandals using any other material, check out our How To Make Huaraches page.

If you’re just making a tracing of your foot for our Custom Invisible Shoes, click here.

Making your sandals with our FeelTrue™ rubber kits is easy. But if it seems like it’ll be too much — or if you just want some professionals to do the “heavy lifting,” you can order our Custom-made Invisible Shoe huaraches and we’ll do the tricky parts for you.

What you’ll need to make your Invisible shoes:

Practically nothing. Our kits come with everything you need to make your own barefoot sandals.

Hammer — to use with our included hole punch, to make the toe hole for your shoes

Magazine or newspaper — to put under your outsoles when you use the hammer and punch (so you don’t punch through your floor or table)

Step 2 – Trace around your foot

You don’t need to get every tiny nook and cranny, and you’re not trying to get an EXACT measurement of the sole of your foot… in fact, by holding the pen vertically, you’re making a trace that’s slightly bigger than your foot, like getting the shadow of your foot… and that’s exactly what you want.

Step 3 – Even out the tracing

You want to smooth out the curves. For example, you want to make the toe area into a curve, rather than bumps for each toe.

Also, I extend the area on the inside of the big toe and the ball of the foot a little bit (sometimes when you run, your foot slips to the inside, so you want to add a bit of extra space here)

Step 4 – Cut out the soles

You can use a good pair of kitchen scissors for this. Or if you have them, use tin snips, or a pair of “EMT Shears” (also called “EMS Shears”).

Cut around the tracing. That is, cut on the outside of the line you’ve drawn, rather than ON the line. Again, that little extra bit can help. Plus, you can always cut your huaraches and make them smaller, but you can’t make them bigger, so err on the side of too big.

If you have our 6mm Contact sole, you may have to put some “elbow grease” into it — they’re a bit harder to cut through.

Also, if you are right handed, it’s easier to cut in a counter-clockwise direction.

Then, when you’re done, if there are some jagged corners you want to clean up, do that by cutting in a clockwise direction.

Step 5 – Mark the toe hole

Step on your soles and, using a marker (I use the Sharpie from Step 2), put a dot between your 1st and 2nd toe, about 1/8″ in front of the webbing between your toes.

If there’s a gap between your 1st two toes, put the mark slightly closer to the 2nd toe than right in the middle of the space between the toes.

The reason for this is, as you run, your foot will want to shift toward the inside. By putting the hole closer to the 2nd toe, your foot stays in place better.

NOTE: It’s sometimes easier to have someone else do this.

Step 6 – Punch the toe hole

SPECIAL: We now include a hollow punch, like the one pictured to the right, with every Invisible Shoe kit, absolutely free of charge. (if you want to buy an additional punch, click here)

Punch out the toe hole using the included hollow punch or, if you like, a rotary hole punch (if you don’t have one of these, you can find them at any craft store, or on eBay, or you can usually borrow one at a leather or shoe repair shop).

To use the hollow punch: Place a magazine, or folded newspaper, or piece of scrap wood on the floor or table. This is to protect the surface when you use the hollow punch.

Place the outsole on top of that.

Position the hollow punch on the toe hole mark you made in the previous step. Hold it perpendicular to the ground/sole (not at an angle).

Give it a good whack with a hammer.

Hollow PunchRotary Hole Punch

Step 7 – Prepare your lace ends

Check out the video to the right… if you use the “bobby pin method”, there’s nothing to prepare.

If you use the first two methods, be careful with the heated ends… the nylon stays HOT when you heat it (no surprise there, I hope )

Step 8 – Thread and knot the toe hole

Push one end of the lace through the toe hole, from the top to the bottom.

Make a knot in the lace, on the bottom side.

I use a “Figure 8 knot”, pictured here.

After you’ve made the knot, run the flame from a lighter (or match) under the knot, to melt the nylon slightly, then press the knot together to seal it and flatten it a a bit.

If you want, squeeze the knot flatter with a pliers.

NOTE:If you’re making huaraches for a child, or if you have really small feet, you can make the knot smaller by removing about 1.5″ of the core material from the end of the nylon/polypro lace before you make the knot.

This might make the knot wear out a bit faster (because there’s less material to wear through), but you should have enough extra lace that you can just pull some more through and make another knot.

Click below to see Steps 8 and 9

Figure 8 knot

Step 9 – Thread the ankle holes

Pass the lace through the outside ankle hole first, from top to bottom.

Then pass the lace through the inside ankle hole, also from top to bottom.

Follow the pictures to get it correct… you want the lace to “lock in” around the holes.

Step 10 – Select one of the fun tying styles

There’s been more creativity in the “how to tie huaraches” arena since we started selling Invisible Shoes than there has been in the 10,000 years since someone first came up with sandals like these.

And there’s no way to have written instructions for them all (well, there is, but it would be miserable to go through them.

Two of the many tying styles: Traditional “Toga” style on the right, and a basic “slip on/slip off” on the left

Step 11 – Most importantly… Go out and ENJOY your new Invisible Shoes and Feel The World!™

Remember, though, to take it easy at first. If you’re not used to going barefoot, especially running barefoot, you’ll be putting more stress on your muscles and skin than you’re used to. Work your way into your huaraches slowly.